KnightForce Ethan (La Patron's KnightForce)

by Sydney Addae

  “What the heck was that?” The last scream still echoed in his ears as darkness receded. Ethan stared at the stars and astral designs on the ceiling for a few seconds recalling the vision. Her screams, it had to be a woman even though he never saw her face, echoed in his mind. The inability to shake these visions no longer surprised him. Shaman Lu said this could happen one day. The older man had urged him to strengthen his gift despite the fact the gift of sight ran in families and no one in his family had the gift. The Elders in their tribe thought Shaman Lu wasted valuable time with him and demanded he train his son Chogan instead.

  Inching forward, he placed weight on one of his feet, it held. Seconds later, he tested the other foot. Confident the vision hadn’t weakened him badly this time, Ethan stood as still as possible as his body shook for a few seconds before heading to the bathroom.

  Leaning over the sink, he splashed water over his face, and then looked in the mirror. He flicked the water from his fingers onto the glass. “Gift or Curse? Shaman Lu said gift. I’m thinking curse.” He wiped his face with a hand towel and tossed it aside.

  Today he’d tell Alpha Jayden about this ability to see things, things that made him a damn good tracker, one of the Marine’s best. But there was a downside, ying and yang, that no one except Shaman Lu knew about. Thinking of the man whose wisdom had shaped Ethan’s beliefs steadied him. It had been a blow when Shaman Lu died within six months of informing the Elders of Ethan’s gift. Chogan took over as pack Shaman and refused to talk to Ethan, let alone train him.

  Ten minutes later, Ethan stepped out the shower and started to dress.

  “Are you alright?” Alpha Jayden asked.

  “Yes, Sir. I’m preparing for our meeting.”

  “You’re worried about something. Since you asked for this meeting I hope all is well.”

  Ethan tucked his oxford shirt into his jeans and then slipped on his shoes. “Yes, I believe so, Sir. I am on my way.”

  “Okay. Ethan?”

  “Sir?”

  “Whatever it is, we can work it out, be easy,” Alpha Jayden said.

  “Yes, Sir.” Ethan didn’t know what else to say. Could things be worked out? Probably. Everything came from the Goddess and was considered a gift to be used to help pack, which he’d done most of his life. However, he’d never encountered these debilitating after-effects he’d experienced ever since moving to Maryland to lead the KnightForce team two years ago.

  The drive to Alpha Jayden’s house took 10 minutes. From the security gate entrance Jayden noted the condos to the left and the main house to the right while waiting for clearance. Callum, son of the Alpha, told him the story of La Patron, La Patroness, and the twins first visit here. According to the young pup, La Patroness saved his life and when she acknowledged him at the mating ceremony, as well as introduced him to her young pups, his life was complete. Callum wasn’t alone in his love for La Patroness, Jayden and his mate, Maureen, both thought highly of her and had remodeled La Patron’s private rooms in their main house to reflect his mate’s taste.

  Ethan parked in the back garage and headed toward the main floor. As he cleared the sun room, Callum walked around the corner, waved and headed in his direction. Ethan met the young pup, smiling at the cap of unruly muddy brown hair that always seemed in disarray.

  “Hey, my man, Ethan Mope, how’s it going?” He held out his fist and Ethan bumped it and bit back a chuckle as the pup opened his palm and pulled it back slowly as if their touch caused a mini-explosion.

  Ethan shook his head at the oversized black pants, dark goth tee shirt, black leather wristbands, dark sneakers, and eyeliner. Ever since some of Callum’s friends had called him stuffy, coupled with an old memory of La Patroness telling him to chill, this past year the pup had been on a mission to change into a hipster.

  “It’s going well. I have a meeting with Alpha.” Ethan crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at the pup.

  “Yeah, I figured. He’s in his office, I think. Anyway, I’m headed into town to hang with some of my homies for a while. We got some chilling to do.” He raised his fist toward Ethan.

  Ethan bumped it again and nodded. “Be careful,” he said, watching Callum walk with an awkward swagger down the hall toward the garage.

  Callum raised two fingers in the air and kept moving.

  “I'm on my way, Sir, just saying good-bye to Callum.” Ethan continued down the hall toward Alpha Jayden’s office. As he neared the double doors, Maureen, the Alpha’s mate came from around the corner.

  “You saw Callum?” she asked from the middle of the hall, halting him before he entered the office.

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  Her green eyes narrowed. She looked thoughtfully at the hall he’d just left. With her dark brown hair pulled back from her face, her strong, high cheek bones reminded him of several of the women in his pack in Oklahoma. Their Cherokee heritage and stubborn temperament stamped prominently on their features. Maureen’s Irish roots matched their strong-willed determination, and in his mind she complemented Alpha Jayden perfectly.

  He waited for instructions or dismissal.

  “Thank you, Jayden’s waiting for you,” she said, and left the hall. She glanced toward the direction Callum had left before continuing on her way.

  Ethan tapped on the door.

  “Come in,” Alpha Jayden said as Ethan walked inside. “You spoke to Maureen, she’s worried and upset over Callum’s direction. She never thought he’d change into this person he is now and wants her son back.” Jayden waved toward the brown leather sofa in the far corner of the office. “Come. Sit. Tell me what’s troubling you.”

  Ethan followed instructions and sat on the sofa. He wasn’t surprised when Alpha joined him. Neither spoke for a few moments. “I have visions.”

  Alpha Jayden nodded. “Yes, I know. That information was on your application. You’ve had them since your first shift, correct?”

  Ethan nodded as memories from that horrific day sprang to the forefront of his mind. He hadn’t been warned and prepared for visions to accompany his first shift. There’d been so much blood he thought he’d died. Two weeks later, his sire and mamMam died in the same manner he’d seen in the vision. Guilt swamped and consumed him for days until Shaman Lu came to see him. “Yes, Sir.”

  “From what I’ve seen since you’ve been here, they help you track rebels with unerring accuracy.”

  “Yes, Sir, that’s correct. Lately it’s been different.” Ethan straightened his back, and clasped his hands together, allowing them to fall between his legs.

  “Different? How?”

  “There’s pain, incapacitating pain, sometimes.” He didn’t look at his Alpha, it wasn’t necessary. Jayden scanned him as they sat in silence.

  “You said lately, how long has this been going on?”

  “Started around six months ago, just twinges, but it’s gotten worse. Plus, it’s random. Sometimes there’s no pain, other times, I can’t move for an hour.”

  “What? An hour? You can’t move? What about your beast? Can you shift?”

  “Sometimes, but it’s hard, which I don’t understand.”

  “Hard to shift? Or the pain is hard?” Alpha Jayden asked.

  “Both. It’s like my beast is okay with the pain and refuses to shift.” He ran his hand through his hair, dislodging the band holding his ponytail. Long, dark, thick, silky strands fell down his back. He groaned, finger combed his hair and replaced the band to keep it out of his face.

  “That makes no sense. I’ll ask La Patron if he’s ever heard of anything like that. Normally your beast works with you, not against you.”

  Ethan shook his head slowly. “I don’t think he’s working against me, per se, more like in agreement with the pain, which makes even less sense. I’d appreciate any information from La Patron on this matter. It’s become a real problem lately.”

  Alpha Jayden sent warmth through their link, immediately calming Ethan. “Could it be the visions? Is it poss
ible you’re receiving residual negative energy from them? Is that even possible?”

  Ethan shrugged. “Sir, one thing I’ve learned over the past 100 plus years, anything is possible. In this arena, I have no idea why the visions changed and why my beast is okay with that. As I said, I’d appreciate anything you can find on the matter.”

  Alpha Jayden nodded as he stood. “Yes, I understand why you’re apprehensive, but as I said, we can work through anything. I have a meeting scheduled with La Patron in a few hours, I’ll ask him then.” He paused, looked over his shoulder at Ethan and then released a long sigh. “There are pack matters that require a hearing in the northern part of the state. Full-blood, half-breed feuds, rebels recruiting…” He waved his hand. “Small things. I’m sending you tomorrow.”

  Ethan nodded. “Yes, Sir.” If Alpha sent him for smaller matters, there was a good reason.

  “I’m also sending Callum.”

  “Sir?” Ethan recalled the look on Maureen’s face and wondered if this was her idea. Not that it mattered. Alpha said go, he’d go.

  Alpha Jayden ran his hand through his light-brown hair as he stared at the wall. Ethan wouldn’t be surprised if the Alpha and his mate were in a heated argument over sending Callum. Maureen seemed over protective of all six of their pups.

  A few minutes later, Alpha Jayden turned to face Ethan. Jaw tight, he spoke quietly but with conviction. “Take Callum to the high country for a week and when he returns, we want the old Callum to walk through those doors.”

  Chapter 3

  “Sooo, just so you know, I’m okay with taking this trip to help you out and everything, tried to explain that to dad. He went all Alpha on me and stuff, wasn’t necessary, know what I mean?” Callum asked as they drove toward the interstate.

  Ethan nodded and remained silent. The argument between father and son had been fierce, with Callum stopping short of refusing a direct order from his Alpha. Thank the Goddess the pup hadn’t lost all of his mind. Loyalty had its limits. Ethan wasn’t looking forward to the next few days, especially when Callum realized how long they’d be gone.

  “Cool, just so you know it wasn’t personal. You’re good peeps.”

  Ethan’s brow rose at being called peeps, but he remained silent rather than engage in a slang vocabulary lesson.

  “I just need to be back before nine tonight, me and BAE got something to do, you feel me?” Callum said, breaking the silence.

  “BAE?” Ethan asked, forgetting his earlier hesitation for learning slang.

  “Before Anyone Else.” He looked at Ethan. “That one special person. Your BAE, your love, your heart. Don’t tell me you don’t know this?”

  “Okay, I won’t tell you.” Ethan glanced at Callum and then back at the road.

  “Seriously? Dude, how do you communicate with pack if you don’t know this stuff?”

  Ethan chuckled at Callum’s incredulous tone. Last year the pup probably wouldn’t have known either. “Must be the Goddess interceding.”

  Callum’s eyes widened and then narrowed. “Must be.” He paused. “But seriously, I have plans for tonight. Tonight’s special.”

  Ethan didn’t want to get involved with family drama, especially his Alpha’s, so he remained quiet rather than tell the young pup he wouldn’t be home for a week or two. This trip grew longer by the mile.

  “Her name’s Kat. Strange name for a bitch, but I like it,” Callum said.

  Ethan grunted.

  “She runs faster than most of the guys, not me though. She can’t beat me in hunting, running, or wrestling.”

  Ethan grunted at the ring of pride in Callum’s voice.

  “Lots of the guys tried to get her attention but she wasn’t interested. For a while she dated a full-blood in D.C., he still comes around even though she broke it off with him last week after…”

  Ethan glanced at Callum, who sat with a thoughtful expression.

  “Think she chose me cause of dad? Him being Alpha?” he asked in a low tone.

  “I don’t know her or anything about her. This is the first time you’ve mentioned the bitch. Who’s her Sire? Mam?”

  “Sire? Adams. Clifford and Peria Adams. Her name’s Kat. Oh, I told you that.”

  Ethan turned onto the highway. “Don’t know them.”

  “They haven’t been here long, two years. Dad knows them.”

  “Of course, they live in his territory and would’ve gained his permission to live in Maryland.” Ethan glanced at Callum and wondered if the young pup had forgotten the basics of pack procedures. If so, Alpha was right to be concerned.

  “Yeah, that’s when I first saw her. She didn’t notice me, though. Not then.”

  Ethan grunted.

  “It was a busy time; they were trying to get settled. Her sire and mam spent hours with dad and mom, she and her brother had to wait. I just caught a glimpse of her from the staircase, it was really brief. Neither of us could see the other that well,” Callum said, sounding more like his old self.

  “Okay.”

  “What about you?”

  Ethan passed an old truck and then glanced at Callum. “What?” To reach Garrett Pack Lands, they’d drive through both Virginia and West Virginia before reaching Garrett County. He thought of his captain, Asia, La Patron, La Patroness, Angus, Tyrese, Tyrone, and everyone he’d met during KnightForce training in La Patron’s compound two years past.

  “A BAE, someone special? I’ve never seen you with anyone, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have someone.”

  “Ah, I see. No. No BAE yet.”

  “You’re not… one of those who believe in all work and no… you know, fun or sex, are you? Cause I can tell you that’s messed up. Believe me I know. Sex and fun is a lot better.”

  Ethan laughed. The idea of him not having sex. He’d been sexually active since his teens, much earlier than when Callum started.

  “I guess that answers my question, you like fun and sex too,” Callum said.

  “Yeah, it’s all good. Really good.” He brought his laughter under control and focused on the road, they had a way to go.

  “Kat wasn’t my first.”

  Ethan nodded.

  “She’s really good, but sometimes I think she’s trying to prove something, or maybe competing. Does that happen? Females compete sexually to what? Prove they can last longer than guys?”

  Ethan cleared his throat. “Not so much to prove they can last longer than you, if that’s what you mean. More to prove or show you she can match you in bed so you don’t look anyplace else.”

  “Oh. Hadn’t thought of that.” Callum paused. “We’re not a couple or mated or anything, she can be with others, so can I.”

  “Is that what you want? Her to be with other guys? Your friends?”

  “No!”

  Ethan’s brow rose at the vehemence in Callum’s tone.

  “Not really, but she mentioned that we weren’t mates and her mate could be out there looking for her. She went and registered with that half-breed service last month. Seemed disappointed that she didn’t have a match,” Callum said, sounding glum.

  “Mates are the golden ring.”

  “I know, but most of us never find our mates and we live long, happy lives. Like Damian and his lover, Dr. Okla. They’ve lived together for the past year and are happy, talking about having pups, making a den. La Patroness is happy for them, she likes his doctor,” Callum said, reminding Ethan that the pup remained in contact with La Patron’s den.

  “You’re right. Damian’s happy, in love with Gem and wouldn’t change anything in his life. Lots of full-bloods live this way. But many hold out hopes for their mates, like La Patron, and Alpha Jayden. Both are mated and happy.”

  “Locked into a situation where they had no choice. Shouldn’t it mean more if I choose to remain faithful and love my bitch without mating rituals? I think that’s a higher level of love and commitment to give without force.” Callum crossed his arms and looked out the window.

  “Yo
u’re entitled to your opinion, of course, but that won’t make her stop hoping to meet her mate.”

  Callum cursed. “I know and it sucks that we’re not mated. She’s perfect for me. I could grow old with her.” At the wistful sound in the pup’s voice, Ethan wondered if separating Kat and Callum hadn’t been the Alpha’s real motive for sending the pup out of town.

  “Perhaps she will see things your way, you can discuss it when you return,” Ethan said.

  “Same for you. No one should grow old alone. Don’t you want a mate?”

  Ethan thought of the visions of the female in pain and his beast’s reaction. Mate? In pain, screaming? The very idea sent chills down his spine. The Goddess would tell him or give him clues to ease his mate’s suffering. “I don’t know.” Mates were good but there were downsides as well. The two actually became one, which meant separations were hell, and in his job he covered an entire state. Plus, they had access to every part of you. No one else could do that, not even La Patron. There were small pockets reserved just for mates, which meant he’d be completely exposed. He didn’t care for that at all.

  “That’s a surprise, I thought all of you old dudes were waiting for mates,” Callum said, grinning.

  Ethan smiled. “Maybe we’re just waiting, not necessarily for mates, but for someone interesting enough to give up our single credentials.”

  “Like Damian?” Callum asked.

  “Yes, like Damian.”

  “I found her, but she’s not feeling me like that.” Callum paused. “What do I do?”

  Move on to the next one, he thought. “What do you want to do?” Ethan had no intention of giving his Alpha’s pup advice.

  “I want to bond with Kat, set up a den, have pups,” Callum said in a stubborn tone.

  “What’s stopping you?” Ethan suspected he knew the answer.

  “Kat. She wants her mate.”

  Ethan nodded and silently applauded the young bitch for sticking to her dream.